Vice Chancellors of six African universities; Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed; and Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Mr. Razak Atunwa have called for greater collaboration among African leaders and scholars to address developmental challenges bedevilling the continent.

They identified high level corruption, infrastructure deficit, unemployment, poverty and bad governance as some of the major problems inhibiting development in Africa.

They spoke during the first summit of collaborating six African universities at the Kwara State University, Malete, on Monday. The theme of the conference was, ‘Health, science and humanity transformation for sustainable African development'.

The Vice-chancellors are that of University of the Gambia, Banjul, Prof. Muhammadou Kay; Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa, Prof. Vuyisa Tanga; KWASU, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na'Allah; University of Ilorin, Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali University of Cape Coast, Ghana, Pro. Domwini Dabire-Kuupole and Bondo University, Bondo, Kenya, Prof.S.G. Agong.

Ahmed who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tertiary Education, Alhaji Jubril Haruna said the most problems confronting the continent revolve around economic stagnation, unemployment, endemic poverty and terrorism.

According to him, part of the solution to the malaise is aggressive economic transformation for wealth creation and rapid development.

Atunwa, who was also the guest speaker, noted that Africa was rich in both human capital and natural resources. He said the continent comprised 54 sovereign entities and was the world's second most-populous continent with more than half of its population under 19 years, which he said made Africa to have the  youngest population of any of the world's continents.

He, however, noted that acute poverty had remained a scourge in the continent. He observed that most Africans would have to earn their living from either government institutions or vulnerable employment.

He also said that African economies should be diversified towards industrialisation.